Resveratrol Down-Regulates Myosin Light Chain Kinase, Induces Apoptosis and Inhibits Diethylnitrosamine-Induced Liver Tumorigenesis in Rats

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Xiao-Lin Zhang¹  Hao Yu³  You-Yi Xiong³  Shi-Tang Ma³  Lei Zhao² 

[1] Animal Science College of Anhui Science and Technology University, Bengbu 233100, Anhui, China; E-Mail:;Food and Drug College of Anhui Science and Technology University, Bengbu 233100, Anhui, China; E-Mails:

关键词: myosin light chain kinase;    liver tumorigenesis;    resveratrol;    apoptosis;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijms14011940

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a serious healthcare problem worldwide because of its increasing morbidity and high mortality rates. However, our understanding of the mechanism of liver tumorigenesis remains incomplete. We report the expression of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) in the livers of rats with diethylnitrosamine (DENA)-induced HCC and investigated the correlation between MLCK and liver tumorigenesis by observing the expression of MLCK in a rat model of HCC. HCC was induced in rats by an intraperitoneal injection of DENA, and resveratrol-treated rats were orally administered resveratrol with 50 mg/kg body weight/day. The livers of rats were excised after 20 weeks and immersed in 10% formaldehyde prior to immunohistochemical and Western blot analyses for determining the level of MLCK expression. These analyses indicated that the MLCK expression was higher in the livers of HCC rats than in normal and resveratrol-treated rats. High level of MLCK expression was responsible for proliferation and anti-apoptotic effects. However, resveratrol down-regulated the expression of MLCK, which induced cell apoptosis and inhibited liver tumorigenesis in rats with DENA-induced HCC. Our results suggest that the over expression of MLCK may be related to the development of liver tumorigenesis.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2013 by the authors; licensee Molecular Diversity Preservation International, Basel, Switzerland.